Time Management as a School Business Manager - Case Study Example

Time Is Gold, So Spend It Wisely Table of Contents Managers or Leaders?........................................................................................2 Time Management……………………………………………………………………3 Time Management Matrix……………………………………………………4 Employing Time Management Strategies………………………………………….5 Spending My Time Wisely…………………………………………………….……..8 References…………………………………………………………………………….10 Everybody claims to be very busy these days, desiring that there were more than twenty-four hours in a day. This is especially true for professionals who work in careers that deal not only with people but also with service. One example is the school business manager. Managers or Leaders? Culkin (1997) differentiates the roles of managers and leaders of institutions. Managers are involved with specific details of daily practice such as operational procedures, finances, and other policies while leaders are more involved with reflective, dynamic, value based planning and organizing. In other words, managers are concerned with setting up and managing systems while leaders give the school vision, direction, set standards and making tough decisions. Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee (2002) advocates the Democratic Leadership Style which engages members to air their perspectives regarding an issue, giving each equal consideration. It works well to surface ideas about how to implement the common vision or to generate fresh ideas for executing it (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2002). This style builds on the emotional competencies of teamwork and collaboration, conflict management and influence, especially if the group is strongly diverse. The management of members is just one aspect of the leader’s or manager’s total job description. There are many other areas that fill up their jobs. A good leader does not rest on his laurels. He continuously seeks ways to make things better for the organisation he is committed to. According to De Vries (1998), charismatic leaders display dissatisfaction with the status quo; they are restless and energetic; they are action oriented; their discontent pushes them into searching for new opportunities; they are entrepreneurial, impatient, and gifted at articulating a strategic vision, making the big picture seem within reach of their followers. They are also very gifted at building alliances and making people feel special. For such leaders, change is one constant thing in their life and they are quite comfortable welcoming it. How can a head of an organisation handle such herculean task? Time Management Time management is an essential skill needed by both manager and leader. It is allotting enough time to do all the tasks to be done within a certain period. In my case, as a school manager, I deal with so many detailed tasks in my work that sometimes, I feel overwhelmed. I used to just attack tasks that come my way or those that come to mind not considering the time element involved to finish everything else. I realize that I needed to be able to learn and master the skill of time management in order to be a more effective school manager. Covey, Merril & Merril’s (1994) Time Management Matrix is a helpful guide in prioritizing the tasks that needed time and attention. It teaches individuals to organize their tasks into quadrants depending on its urgency and importance. For me, it can sometimes be overwhelming to just look at a list of things to do for the day, how much more, detailed things to do for the week? Weighing what needs to be done in sequence may be a brain-twister at times, especially if the perception is that everything is important and urgent. However, this is should not be the case. Some things require one’s attention more than others, and Covey et al’s model can be used as a tool to assess which things come first. The matrix is presented as thus: Time Management Matrix Urgent Not urgent Important 1 Crises Pressing problems deadlines 2 preparation prevention goal clarification planning relationship building purposeful activity Not important 3 interruptions some mail some meetings many pressing matters many popular activities 4 trivia, time fillers junk mail some social activity ‘escape’ activities Quadrant 1 takes top priority being urgent and important. This includes crisis management rather than strategic planning. This means that foresight is needed in prevention and planning strategies in order to avoid the possible crises that may arise. The second priority is Quadrant 2 which includes tasks which are important but not urgently needed. Attention to the tasks in this quadrant reflect planned and purposeful personal leadership activity and neglecting the tasks in this quadrant increases the time spent on the first quadrant. The third quadrant include tasks that may seem urgent but are not actually important. Most individuals, when they attend to the tasks in this quadrant more than in any other quadrant, shows their lack of control on their own time. This quadrant employs deceptive use of one’s time since the ‘noise of urgency’ come from more often than not, other people’s important issues and expectations. The fourth quadrant include tasks that are not urgent and not important. This includes procrastination, lack of commitment and may be wasteful addictive behaviors rather than genuine relaxation. Tasks that belong to this quadrant are time-wasters. This model is a very useful tool for managers, as it clarifies one’s priorities, identifying the really important things that matter and thus needs to be addressed more than other tasks. I am aware that each quadrant cannot remain equal in size to others, and at first, most of my tasks will fall on Quadrant 1. However, with careful consideration, I know many tasks can slide down to the other quadrants, leaving me time to concentrate on what is really important and urgent enough for me to work on. I end up crossing off my list those listed under Quadrant 4, hence, having more time for myself. Employing Time Management Strategies Being able to manage my time is one goal I have in my journey to becoming successful in everything I do. I need to be more productive in less time, as I always perceive a million things to do in a day! I need to know where my time gets wasted and how I can economize it. Croft (1996) gives practical things on how I can do that. He says I have to learn to let go and allow others to help me. I know that I can be a control freak at times, hoarding all the work that needs to be done to make sure it gets done correctly. That is my concept of accountability. However, Croft (1996) recommends prioritization, delegation, personal organisation, avoidance of procrastination and stress management as skills to be mastered. The Time Management Matrix explained above takes care of my prioritization process. I write down everything I need to do in job and place each tasks in the quadrant where they belong. Knowing my priorities, I now break down large jobs into smaller and more manageable chunks so I can do them one at a time, giving my full concentration on each one as I do it. One tip Croft gives is to put the unpleasant jobs at the top of the list to do so I feel satisfied when they are completed and out of the way. I need to commit to a schedule or routine by writing it down and posting it in a place where I always see it. This would remind me to stick to it. Being a manager, I can delegate some jobs to others who I believe are capable and reliable to complete them. This leaves me with more time to complete tasks that only I can do. Setting reasonable deadlines for tasks is one effective way for me to be pushed in working on them. My paradigm should be not just to meet deadlines for the sake of completion, but more importantly, the quality of the completed task need to be ensured. Thinking of the effects of the completed job, along with the consequences of meeting the deadline or not should be kept in mind at all times. These include: how I would feel if I do not complete the job and if I complete it, and which one I would prefer. How would it affect others concerned with the job at hand? What are the benefits of achieving the task? What are the consequences of not being able to complete it? How will it affect me and others’ regard for me in the future? All this needs positive thinking so I get motivated to complete the tasks at hand. Visualization of enjoying the task and the positive results it would bring should fill my mind. Focusing on these results should get me going. At the end, rewarding myself for a job well-done is a welcome task to add to my “to-do” list. Complementing time management is personal organisation. Having a clean and organized workspace is conducive to productivity. I should keep my work station neat, with enough space to work and easy access of all the materials or equipment I might need. All distractions (ex. television, DVD player) should be eliminated. Planning ahead of time and sticking to the plan is the way to avoid procrastination, which is also a time management skill. A school gets involved with multiple projects and each one needs thorough planning. Scheduling dates for completion of certain steps in the completion of the plan not only gives the security that the project is moving towards its fulfillment but also gives a sense of organisation to the people involved with the project. Having a synchronized date to work on marks the time that is dedicated to the project. Meeting deadlines and keeping to the preplanned schedule is one admirable trait of a manager. Of course, his leadership skills in getting people to move with him towards his goals, is the root of it. On top of this is his personal determination to succeed. A self-affirmation to reprogramme one’s thinking is essential. Saying to oneself, ‘I am dynamic and efficient and always meet deadlines.’ ‘I like completing tasks so my time is free for me.’ (Croft, 1996) helps boosts one’s self-esteem. Self-empowerment is key. Due to the quantity of the taxing tasks that I, as a school business manager go through everyday, I should be wary of too much stress. Generally, stress is what one feels when the demands on his life exceed his ability to meet those demands. The stressor may be external, such the threat of bankruptcy if enrolment does not meet the quota set. Or, it may be an internal stressor such as an illness (Scott, 2007). Effective time management helps reduce the stress, leaving me more relaxed to concentrate on the task at hand. I should also learn relaxation techniques as well as achieve work-life balance. Spending My Time Wisely Work-life balance entails that I feel both achievement and enjoyment in all aspects of my life: at work, with my family and friends and with myself. Each aspect needs enough investment in time and effort in order to thrive. This does not necessarily mean that I have to spend much time addressing the needs of all aspects every day of my life, because then, I would be too stressed, I’d go into a nervous breakdown! Twenty four hours in a day just is not enough to spend quality time at work with family and friends and self, however, I should make sure that within the week, I should be able to allot time for each. If all my time is spent at work or family, I would miss out on honing my other competencies in my other areas. My time management scheme, for instance, will include daily overseeing of the school to address both important and urgent matters such as teacher training, student concerns, curriculum, etc. In terms of family, I need to spend more time with them when I am at home, and when I do, I should tuck away work concerns and just bond with my family. With regards to my self, daily bathing and feeding of self is not counted, as it has become routinary and uninspired. I should insert in my calendar time for myself like spending time at the gym or indulging in a hobby or just simply relaxing in my room to recharge my batteries. I know having work-life balance and efficient time management skills will help me achieve my goals as a school business manager. However, it is not as easy at it sounds. Being flexible with my time when I supervise workers in the school would dictate that I spend quality time with them and establishing harmonious relationships with them. Reaching out to people is definitely a plus factor in school management. Managing my time well will help me go a long way in my journey as a business school manager. As it is now, I can rate myself as fair, and know that I can do better. I usually meet my deadlines and am seldom late. I know that time is gold and should be valued and used well. References Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. (2002) Primal Leadership. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA Covey, S.R., Merrill, A.R. & Merill, R.R.(1994), First Things First. Simon & Schuster Croft, C. (1996) Time Management for Results. Thomson Learning Emea Culkin, M. 1997, Administrative leadership, in Leadership in Early Care and Education, ed.S.L. Kagan & B.T. Bowman, National Assoc. for the Education of Young Children, Washington, DC, pp. 23-33. Scott, E. (2007),“Stress and burnout: burnout symptoms and causes” Retrieved on August 10, 2010 from http://stress.about.com/od/burnout/a/stressn_burnout.htm Read More